Bear Lake/Afton Hillclimb 2012

 SHERMAN RACING 2012!!  Finally some updates from last season.  Due to the short racing season brought on by low snow conditions, promoter issues, and other issues I am putting some races together to try and summarize what happened last season.  The first installment will cover the Bear Lake and Afton Hillclimb races.  There were some really exciting moments, as well as some real disappointments during these weekends, but overall success was achieved.

BEAR LAKE HILLCIMB 2012

Despite horrible snow conditions the Bear Lake Race was a great opener for the season.  I had great qualifying runs in Stock and Improved Stock, and finally pulled off a 1st place qualifier in the Stock heat.   In Mod qualifying I had an excellent run going until about half way up the course.  It's not exactly clear what happened, but based on photos, GoPro footage, and what little recolection I had of the crash it seemed like I actually got 'stuck in the mud'!  Coming around a gate with fairly good speed I decided to take a higher line that I knew would save me time entering the next corner.  I had done this on a few other gates throughout the day with a lot of success and knew that I could put myself into contention for qualifying if it worked out.  Unfortunately as I rounded the gate my skis couldn't quite push through the muddy area that had been worn out by all the other sleds going up.  Had the snow been better and the temps a little bit cooler I don't think this incident would have happened.  But as we all know, sleds aren't really designed to go through mud that well.  My skis ended up sticking, which threw me off balance towards the downhill side, and the pictures explain the rest of what happened.  Oh well, no harm no foul.  What a great first day of racing. 

 

The weather conditions were perfect on Friday, but once finals rolled in, so did the clouds and snow.  Luckily the wind was calm so visibility stayed pretty good.  In Improved finals we ran a double-run motocross style final.  My first run was less than stellar mainly because I was in the first 5 riders out that morning.  Basically all we do is break trail for the other racers instead of having a nice course to go up.  2nd run was much better and I ended up shaving enough time off to finish 9th overall.  My Stock final went well after nearly crashing going over the road at the bottom.  The course was fast and my overall run was very smooth resulting in another Top 10 finish.  Now!!!!  For the most exciting part of the weekend.

After finals were over I went to the timing trailer to talk with our Secretary Jeniffer Keetch.  After looking at the totals for the weekend and the previous races that qualified from 2011 she showed me that I had enough qualifying points to get in ALL 3 CLASSES at the World Championship Hillclimbs in Jackson Hole.  What a fantastic way to start the season and end the first race.  Finally racing up Snow King Mountain......

AFTON CHALLENGE HILLCLIMB 2012

 What a hill!..............  There are so many ways to describe the feelings in that comment that I don't know where to start.  Afton is a hill that mirrors the steepness, difficulty, and technicality of Snow King as if it was a purpose built pre-qualifier.  Stumps, rocks, ice, trees, huge ruts, and steep off-camber gate placements make this hill one of the most exciting experiences a racer can have.  It doesn't matter if the snow is deep or thin.  The stumps are always there.  The trenches are always deep.  The hill is always a solid, icy, traction screw destroying menace that takes no prisoners.  Afton is certainly a nemesis hill for me.  I seem to either do very well, or I get my trash kicked all weekend.  This year was definitely not great by any standard.  Stock qualifying saw my run go almost 1:20.000 and I failed to qualify even though I eventually made the timing lights.  Improved Stock qualifying was the shining light for the weekend and I ended up with a 2nd place finish in my heat.  Mod qualifying was again, less than stellar, as I ended up taking almost last after getting stuck just below a monster holed-out section that was destroying every one else' runs.  In finals I had only one shot to make something of the weekend.  The course was super-rutted and criss-crossed the frozen trenched landscape from the day before.  Tree stumps were everywhere, though they were not as centered in the course as previous year.  I lined up with nothing to lose and let it rip, finishing in 6th place overall out of 42 racers in the class.  Once again, nothing was broken and my body held up great.  Definitely just excited to go home and start prepping for 'The Big One' at the end of March.  Jackson Hole in my sights!!!

Here's a look at the nasty section that was claiming almost every rider that tried to get through it.